1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a free flowing production system which is constituted in such a manner that various automatic production machines are disposed along a free flowing type of conveyance apparatus.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
It has been variously assumed that the plant facilities may be automated to degrees, starting at a small scale with machine tools being automated and extending to a large scale to automation in which the whole plant is automated. The relatively large scale automated production facilities are known in which the manufacturing lines are completely automated. The adoption of such types of automated facilities have recently become much wider practice.
For example, an automated machining line system previously disclosed and supplied by the applicant of the present invention is constituted in such a manner that, as shown in FIG. 25: a plurality of floor-type machining centers 3 and lateral-type machining centers 4 are disposed adjacent to an unmanned track conveyance apparatus 2 in which article to be produced are placed on a large unmanned transportation vehicle 1 which reciprocates along the track; a tool preparation station 5 and product preparation station 6 are disposed adjacent to the machining centers 3 and 4 along the unmanned track conveyance apparatus 2; a frame 7 for storing a variety of pallets and other product preparation stations 8 are disposed on the side opposing the machining centers 3 and 4 of the unmanned track conveyance apparatus 2 for the purpose of facilitating introduction and delivery of products which have been placed on the pallet; a large scale jig setting station 9 is disposed adjacent to the product preparation stations 8; and a large sized article reversing device 9a and an automated carrier car 9b are disposed on the ground for the purpose of facilitating preparation work, whereby a system 10 is formed in which a large amount of large products conveyed by the unmanned track conveyance apparatus 2 can be efficiently machined. On the other hand, in order to machine medium and small sized falt and square articles, an unmanned track conveyance apparatus 11 and a stacker crane 12 are disposed parallel to each other; lateral machining centers 13, vertical machining centers 14, washing devices 15 and a tool robot 16 are disposed in a line along the side of the unmanned track conveyance apparatus 11; and a multi-stage type of pallet stocker 15 is disposed on the side opposing the machining centers 13 and 14 of the unmanned track conveyance apparatus 11 along the side of the stacker crane 12, whereby a system 18 is constituted in which jigs and product preparation stations 17 are located at the end portion of the multi-stage type of pallet stocker 15 which is provided along the side of the stacker crane 12. In order to machine medium and small round-shaped articles, a system 29 is constituted in such a manner that: unmanned track conveyance apparatus 21 are disposed to form two parallel lines; NC machine tools 22 and a lateral-type machining center 23 are disposed along either line; an automatic tool supplying device 26 having a tool magazine 24 and a tool loader 25 is disposed behind the NC machine tools 22; and pallet storing frames 27 are disposed along the side on which no NC machine tools 22 is disposed, whereby the preparation station 28 is located to one end of the pallet storing frame 27.
The above-described systems are concentrically controlled by on-line controllers 10a, 18a and 29a disposed in a central control room 30 disposed in a suitable position within the plant so that large amounts of products can be efficiently machined by utilizing a 24-hour continuous operation. Such a system forms a flexible unmanned machining system in which mass production can be conducted, and a multiplicity of types of production as well as small quality production can be conducted in accordance with the dimensions and shapes of the articles to be machined.
In the above-described unmanned machining systems 10, 18 and 29, since all of the control information is concentrically controlled by the on-line controllers 10a, 18a and 29a in the central control room 30, if the sequential conveying order of the materials, products and other articles to be produced is changed for some reason, the subject matter to be controlled becomes disordered, necessitating the changing work of the control data utilized in the on-line controllers 10a, 18a and 29a. Furthermore, changes need to be effected in the preparation work, defective products may be generated, and/or too much time is taken to trouble shoot. Thus cases may occur where the operation of the unmanned machining systems 10, 18 and 29 needs to be suspended.